The Grenada gazette. (Grenada, Miss.) 1885-18??, 1887-08-20
SLEEP ON A FARM.
/ Pale Young Mans Discouraging Ad'
ventures in the Country.

", II am not working on farm for
my health now"
is that sop
yes. have come away. and the
farm which knew me would, perhaps
know me yet if it could get sight OF
me, but it can't
Il went out, youknow. by the advice
of a physician. Said he: You need
outdoor exercise, and above all. sleep,
such long. quiet nights sleep as you
can only find in the country away from
the noise aud heat Of the city. with the
great open windows and the cool and
velvety breeze floating through your
room all night long, with, perhaps, IN
occasional night with the patterng
rain upon the roof to lull you to sleep
That's what the doctor said.
$50 l hired out to a farmer to work
all summer. He said I was so white
and pale that he couldn't give me any
thing but my board for my services,
but if wanted to work for that might
climb in behind the seat and ride out.
so did. He had one mule and
one horse and the mule baked every
time we went up the hill and the
horse every time we went down the
hill, and they both tried to run away
on the level He drove them with a
trace-chan tied on . white ash axe
helve.
but we got out there at last. 7
don't want to tell you any thing about
the work to-day--I haven't time-but
feel as if l must say something about
those long nights sleep.
1.-THE first night we got home late.
but still the sun was only nicely down.
The sun sets about two hours later
out there than anywhere else in the
known world.
After supper the farmer spent one
hour and half telling me about the
fax crop On the back forty. and then
he reckoned we better milk. There
were twelve cows and he said each
would take six. He gave me the kick.
ers and it took me two hours and il
had been dark long time when ! fin.
shed. Then he had me pumpup water
for the next day. And it took forty
minutes. Then l filled the wood-boS
and split the kindling wood. And as
it was a big box it took thirty minutes.
Then he told me about the oat crop.
which took an hour. And when l went
to bed it was growing light in the east
THE window in the room was pane
of glass nailed over an irregular hole
in the boards and could not be opened.
felt around in the dim light and fin.
ally got into bed. l had just fallen
asleep and had begun to dream wa.
lying along the ridge-pole Of a doubles
bumped camel. when the farmer
pounded on the stairs with an old
broomstick and said breakfast was
ready. couldn't see that it was any
lighter than when went to bed. though
the sky in the east was little redder.
Il will pass over the day as it is
painful to recall. Or rather the day
and the last end Of one night and fs''
end of another, for we were in the hty.
field sixteen hours.
'And that evening after supperhe
said l might throw the dirt out 4
new cellar while l rested.
Then we MIXED. and he gave me
eight cows instead of six--all kiclfrs.
And one was hooker. too and
slammed me through the corn-crib.
Il got to bed an hour soonei than
the night before because he said he
was thinking some of getting up early
the next morning
"And that night it rained. and
heard the pleasant patter of the rain
on the roof that that old fraud of
doctor spoke about. But it didn't lull
me to sleep because it leaked down on
me and got the bed.clothes wet, and ]
caught cold.
"And when the farmer pounded on
the stairs l got up and looked at my
watch. and I had been abed an hour
and forty minutes. And my clothes
we're wet, and there was water in my
shoes.
"But it was good day. and we
worked at the hay again. We moved
down what the farmer called q slather'
of it. And that night after l had rest
ed awhile on the cellar and MIXED the
twelve cows--twelve kickers-and one
Of them thought was trying to kidnap
her calf and chased me out Of the yard
the farmer said 1t looked like rain
again, and he reckoned we'd better 60
out and cock up that hay before bed.
time.
"And before we got to the field ]
saw the morning. star. and when l had
got up twelve punches Of hoy and the
old hypocrite Of a farmer four. I heard
q lark. Then when had up twenty
four lunches and the farmer six it be-
gan to grow qui to light
when the farmer saw It he laid
down on the hay and laughed for ten
minutes. He 81 id We had worked right
through the night without knowing it.
But I had known more about il
than he thought L had